The Kingdom of God

It's lovely to be with you all, and I also welcome some of the brethren that are here for the first time. Please feel welcome, and please have a nice, pleasant Sabbath with us all. And we hope that you will learn something as we go through our presentations today.

Basically, the first presentation that I'm going to be talking about today is about God's government on Earth, our only hope. To help you, we will have the Scriptures appearing on the screen. Some of you new visitors have the Scriptures also as a handout to help you going through them. We know, brethren, that we live in very difficult days. As Paul said in Timothy, we live in perilous times. Men today are lovers of themselves. Men today like to boast. Men today are proud and arrogant, particularly many leaders. They say things they shouldn't say.

They disobedient. They ungrateful. They do things that are unloving and unkind and forgiving. They say things with their tongue that hurt. And indeed, they are despisers of good. They betray one another. They haughty. They headstrong. They love pleasure more than love God. And you know, they do all those things and then they still go to church. Because they have a form of godliness, but they deny its power. And so, as you and I look at the world today, and you hear the news today, what do you find?

You start wondering, what is going on? Because people are calling evil, they're calling it good, just as it's prophesied in Isaiah. Things that are dark, they call it light, we just live in an absolutely wicked society. And that comes out of Isaiah 5. But interesting, if you read the earlier verses in Isaiah 5, it's actually talking about God's disappointing vineyard. It's talking about a vineyard that God has done everything with it possible that could bear good fruit. And the result, instead of bearing good fruit, and if you read in verse 7, it refers to that as being justice, it brought forth wild grapes, which refers to it as oppression.

And then God asks a question, what else could he have done to that vineyard? What else could he have done to that vineyard? Why is it that God asks, when I expected to bring good fruit, it brought bad fruit? And then God goes on and says, let me tell you what I'm going to do to my vineyard. Now, brethren, the vineyard is our country.

The vineyard is our nation. The vineyard is our society we live in. And now God says, what I'm going to do, whichever country you are, because all the countries are like this today, what I'm going to do to the United States of America? What I'm going to do to Brazil? What I'm going to do to the UK? What I'm going to do to Australia? What I'm going to do to Canada? I tell you what I'm going to do. I'm going to burn it up. I'm going to break down its wall of protection. We have been protected. Oh, yeah, you see these things happen in Ukraine.

But those walls are being broken down. It will be right here. And our cities will be trampled down. Brethren, we live in terrible times. But regrettably, it's going to get worse. And we read Christ said there will be a great tribulation. Like never has it happened in the whole world. And it's going to happen right here.

And except those days would be shortened, there will be the end of the world. You see, it would be the end of the world. But God is going to intervene at the end, last second, before we obliterate mankind from planet Earth. He's going to intervene. And then we read in prophecies, like in Daniel 2, that says that in those days of these nations at the end time, God will set up a government, a kingdom, that will never be destroyed.

This government of God, this kingdom of God, will not be left to other people. There will not be other people that will be elected to take over it. But this kingdom of God will destroy these governments of the Earth, which are only causing trouble. And when you think about when Christ first started preaching, what was His message?

What was Christ's message? After John the Baptist was put into prison, Jesus started preaching, and He preached the good news of the government of God being established on planet Earth. That's what He preached. Christ preached the good news of that government to come. And He said, it's coming. The time is at hand. Repent and believe in this good news.

You know, there was the same thing that Paul taught later. Right at the end of Acts, you see that Paul, for two years he was in Rome in, let's call it, home prison, and he preached the kingdom of God. Paul preached the government of God, and obviously also the things related to Jesus Christ, because He is the King of Kings. He is the one that is going to bring the kingdom of God to Earth.

So, Christ and Paul preached this coming kingdom of God. So when will this coming kingdom of God come? Well, in Revelation 11.15, we see that it will come when the seventh angel, that is the seventh trumpet of those seven trumpets, that last trumpet, is blown. And then he says, the kingdoms, you know, it was the governments, the nations, of the society that we live in became part of, became owned by the kingdom of our Lord. It was the kingdom of God. The kingdom of God is the kingdom that is going to reign. And obviously, it's also the kingdom of Christ, because He's going to be the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords in that kingdom. And He shall reign forever.

You see, you and I read scriptures like in 1 Thessalonians chapter 4, that Christ will come from heaven with the shout of an archangel at the trump of God, which is the lost trump, the seventh trumpet.

And people that are dead in Christ will be resurrected.

And we who are alive will then be changed into spirit beings. And that is the time of the first resurrection. It's the time of Christ's coming, which is symbolized by the day of trumpets. That's what it is. Christ's coming, the day of trumpets.

And at that time, it says that His feet will stand in that day on Mount of Olives, at that time, at that time of the end, when all these events happen.

And yes, there will be a great earthquake, but it shows that's when Christ comes to planet earth. And then you and I know that after the day of trumpets, we have the day of Atonement, which means when Satan, the dragon, will be bound for a thousand years.

And so then the kingdom of God can actually start raining on earth because that is symbolized by the Feast of Tabernacles. And it shall come that in those last days, the mountain of the Lord's house. The word mountain means kingdom, symbolic of kingdom. Southern means in the last, in the latter days, the kingdom of God. Yeah, the mountain of the Lord's house shall be established on top of all the other nations. Yeah, it's symbolizing that the kingdom of God will be over all the other nations. And all nations will then recognize that Christ is the king and they'll come to him. And they'll say, come and let's go to the headquarters, to the mountain of God, where the kingdom of God is.

Because it says, out of Zion, out of those headquarters, will go forth God's law and the word of God from Jerusalem. Indeed, Christ will reign on earth. That's what it is. Our Lord and Savior Christ will reign on earth.

In Zechariah 8, we read, that says the Lord, I will return to Zion and dwell in the midst of Jerusalem.

Christ himself, the Lord, the Eternal, under the authority of the Father, will come to earth and it says, Jerusalem will be called the city of truth. The mountain of the Lord, of hosts, the holy mountain. In other words, the kingdom of God, the holy kingdom.

At that time, Jerusalem will be called the throne of God, of the Lord. That's where Christ will rule on the throne, which will be David's throne. He will rule on that throne. All nations will come to the Lord, to Jerusalem, and no more will they follow their own carnal human nature. Yes, they'll have to overcome it, but they'll have to overcome those evil hearts and do what is pleasing to God.

The Lord of God will therefore reign in Zion and will comfort all those places that are desert. But spiritually speaking, the places that are desert or our lives that are empty, they will now be watered with the joy of God's Holy Spirit. And people will be glad. So yes, the earth will be changed from disaster, but human beings will be changed. Always read duality, physical and spiritual. And the spiritual meaning here is that people, mankind, will now have God's Holy Spirit and will be glad. And they'll be singing with thanksgiving, thanksgiving to God. Because it says also in Isaiah 41 that God will open the rivers in desolate heights and fountains in the midst of the valleys. Again, read spiritually. Yes, it is correct to read physically. When it talks about the dry land, the springs of water or plant in the wilderness, and the trees like the cedar and the acacia that require a lot of water, they will flourish there. But read that spiritually as well, with lives that were empty, that had no nourishment, that had no hope will now be happy and joyous with God's Holy Spirit.

In the end, the hand of the Lord has done this. Christ's hand will execute this under the direct instruction of the Father. The Holy One of Israel has created it.

So, it also then says, and then it says, the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped. Oh yes, God will heal people. But again, read spiritually. The blind that cannot understand God's Word will now understand God's Word and become live to them, and they will see it, and they'll understand it. The deaf that cannot hear God's Word and preaching.

Like today, how many people are there as we preach the Gospel? How many people are listening to it and changing? No, their ears are stopped. Their eyes are blind. So, read spiritually. That veil that is holding people's brains will be removed, and people understand, and they'll be able to talk about the truth, not dumb things that they say, oh well, it's this and that and the other. Because nowadays, this is what's being taught in many schools. Things that are so unwise.

So, the desert of this society, which spiritually speaking is a desert, will blossom out, will burst forth like waters, and the waters are representing God's Holy Spirit.

And, as we read also in Micah, Christ will judge between many people. You read also, for instance, in the New Testament, will separate the goats and that, and start judging people. And it says, and rebuke strong nations afar. People be rebuked. People that don't want to obey, they're rebellious. They'll be corrected with a strong hand.

Well, Christ doesn't change. He's a strong hand to the rebellious.

He's a merciful and loving hand to those that obey Him.

So, the people will then be in peace. They'll be building houses. People will inhabit those houses. They will have children. And today, quite often, we have children, like it says there, you know, and it says, they'll not labor in vain, nor bring forth children for trouble.

Because the day is coming when the children will see a future with great happiness. And your children and our children, we need to have faith that God will protect us and will intervene for us, because He's a dad, a loving dad that cares for us as His children.

In that society, they will not hurt or destroy. The earth will be full of God's knowledge.

And there will be a time where people will look for the world beyond today, the world tomorrow. And that's our message, the world beyond today, the world tomorrow. And what will happen will make people astounded. Astounded, because God says, I'll work in your days, a work which you would not believe.

Though it withholds, and today people don't believe it. Oh yeah, they go to church and say hallelujah, but then they go back home and keep sinning.

They have a form of godliness, but deny the power thereof.

But today, brethren, our job is to tell the people this good news to the whole world, to the whole society, as a witness to all nations.

And then things will blow up.

Quite often people say, well we got to preach the gospel so we get more people coming to church, and so we got more people to save more souls.

But read that again. In Matthew 24 14 says, and this gospel of the king will be preaching to all world to save more souls. Is that what it says? Or to bring more people to church? Now, it says this gospel will be preached to the world as a witness to all the nations.

Because when this comes to happen, which will happen soon, soon, don't think the Lord Elays is coming. Soon!

Then they want to have an excuse and say, well, I wasn't told.

You see, brethren, this government of Christ on earth, which is the government of God, of course, is our only hope. Because if not, it would be the end of the world.

And so, do you have this vision of the world beyond today's world? Do you have this vision of the world tomorrow?

Our mission, our job description, is to preach the good news of the world to come, of the world beyond today, as a witness to the whole world. Is that it?

Now, as you look at the emblem in front of our podium, it's got two key statements. One is based on Matthew 24.14, which we have read a moment ago.

But it also has a second statement at the bottom, which says, preparing a people, which comes from Matthew 28, 19 and 20.

Because in Matthew 28, it says, go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them, and then it says, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded. So as people repent, those that God calls, and those that are paying attention, then we must teach them, and show them, and make disciples of them, and teach them to obey God's laws.

And so you and I, our job responsibility is not only to preach the gospel, but it's to prepare a people. It's to prepare those called out ones, so that they are prepared for the kingdom of God.

To do what? To sit on cloud nine and play a hop? No! You've got a big job! A big job! Because the whole mankind is deceived, and you and I, we're going to have a job as kings and priests to help Christ change the world.

God wants you to help him, and you are being trained now for that job.

So you and I are not coming to church just to warm up a seat. We are coming to church to learn, to be trained, to rule in the world tomorrow as kings and priests.

So God's work is to preach the gospel. That's our job, which is the good news as a witness, and to prepare those that God calls out for the world tomorrow, for the world beyond today, so that they are prepared to adequately reign. Oh yeah, God's not going to give you a position of reign, of governess, of teaching, if you don't do anything today about it.

Just coming to church and keeping the Sabbath is not enough.

You've got to do more. You've got to do more, because you and I are being prepared to help Christ to be the saviors of the world. Oh, where did I get that? From Abadiah, right at the end of Abadiah, it says, then saviors will come to Mount Zion, which will be you and I, change the spirit beings, working under the instruction and the guidance of Christ, which is under the instruction of God the Father, and we will help Christ to judge the nations of the world, of Esau, of the world that has gone wrong, and that government will be God's. And you will help, you and I will help Christ rule that if you have been trained, and it's up to you and I whether we accept that training and do that training now.

So, our work is to preach the gospel, to prepare the called out ones for the world tomorrow, so that we are adequately trained now to help Christ save the world tomorrow.

You see, we will receive the kingdom, not to sit on cloud nine and play an op, but we'll receive the kingdom to rule. And you better be trained now, because if you are using this time today, coming to church and keeping the Sabbath and keeping the early days, but it's just a happy, casual, go lucky thing without changing your spirit, you're dominating and growing to overcome your carnal mind, and if you can't control your mind, it's better than ruling a strong city. So, if you're learning to do that, then you're being trained to rule in the world tomorrow.

So, are there preconditions?

Yes.

We've got to repent and be conversed. Repent and be changed.

And if you and I are really working at changing, at changing, then we will be granted the responsibility to rule on Christ's throne.

Just like Christ overcame, and therefore, He's sitting next to the Father on His throne today. So, you and I will sit with Christ on His throne, on the condition that you and I are being prepared now for that mission critical.

I don't know how important it is for me to emphasize it again. Just coming to church and warming up a seat, and keeping God's holy days and keeping the Sabbath is not enough. If you look at it, there'll be some of us that will be protected, and some of us that will not. There is a differentiating factor, and that that differentiating factor is based on love and application and overcoming and caring for one another, the brethren. More than just keeping the Sabbath and the holy days and coming to church. There's more than that. It's more than just believing in Christ. It's more than just keeping the law. We've got to do the things that are pleasing to God that we are changing, and we're becoming like Him. We've got to overcome, and we've got to practice, and we've got to put on that new man and change.

Brethren, God's soon-coming government is coming soon.

I don't know how many years, but I think sometimes we think it's more years than what it will be. I think the time is very short.

And that is our only hope for mankind, for our children, for our grandchildren. It's our only hope.

What can we do?

What we need to do is say yes to God by repenting. And that will be my next presentation.